Stirling cycle machine

Abstract

A Stirling cycle machine. The machine includes at least one rocking drive mechanism including a rocking beam having a rocker pivot, at least one cylinder and at least one piston. The piston is housed within a respective cylinder and is capable of substantially linearly reciprocating within the respective cylinder. The drive mechanism includes at least one coupling assembly. Also, a crankcase housing the rocking beam and housing a first portion of the coupling assembly is included. The machine also includes a working space housing the at least one cylinder, the at least one piston and a second portion of the coupling assembly. An airlock is included between the workspace and the crankcase and a seal is included for sealing the workspace from the airlock and crankcase. A burner and burner control system is also included for heating the machine and controlling ignition and combustion in the burner.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An external combustion engine comprising:
 a burner element; 
 at least two heater heads defining a working space; 
 at least two pistons; 
 a cooler; 
 a crankcase comprising:
 a crankshaft for producing an engine output; 
 two piston rods each connected at a proximal end of the piston rod to one of the at least two pistons; 
 a rocking beam rotating about a fixed rocker pivot for driving the crankshaft, the rocking beam including two end pivots and a connecting pivot, wherein the two end pivots and the connecting pivot are in a single plane and equidistant from the rocker pivot, the connecting pivot is separate from either end pivot, and the rocking beam drives the two piston rods via the two end pivots; 
 two link rods, each link rod connected at a proximal end of the link rod to one of the two piston rods at a distal end of the piston rod and to one of the two end pivots at a distal end of the link rod, the length of each link rod being not greater than a distance from one of the two end pivots to the rocker pivot; and 
 a connecting rod located on the side of the rocking beam that is opposite from the at least two pistons and connected at a first end to the connecting pivot of the rocking beam and at a second end to the crankshaft to convert rotary motion of the rocking beam to rotary motion of the crankshaft wherein the at least two pistons reciprocate along substantially linear piston axes in the crankcase and the crankshaft is arranged on the side of the rocking beam that is opposite from the at least two pistons. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The external combustion engine as set forth in  claim 1  further comprising one of a manual or electric external starter connected to the crankshaft of the engine to start the engine. 
     
     
       3. The external combustion engine of  claim 1  further comprising two linear bearings, each linear bearing positioned along the proximal end of one of the two link rods, each linear bearings guiding one of the two piston rods. 
     
     
       4. An external combustion engine comprising:
 a burner element; 
 at least two heater heads defining a working space; 
 at least two pistons; 
 a cooler; 
 a crankcase comprising;
 a crankshaft for producing an engine output; 
 two piston rods each connected at a proximal end of the piston rod to one of the at least two pistons; 
 a rocking beam rotating about a fixed rocker pivot for driving the crankshaft, the rocking beam including two end pivots and a connecting pivot, wherein the two end pivots and the connecting pivot are in a single plane and equidistant from the rocker pivot, the connecting pivot is separate from either end pivot, and wherein the crankshaft is arranged on the side of the rocking beam that is opposite from the two piston rods; 
 two link rods, each link rod connected at a proximal end of the link rod to one of the two piston rods at a distal end of the piston rod and to one of the two end pivots at a distal end of the link rod, the length of each link rod being not greater than a distance from one of the two end pivots to the rocker pivot; and 
 a connecting rod located on the side of the rocking beam that is opposite from the at least two pistons and connected at a first end to the connecting pivot of the rocking beam and at a second end to the crankshaft to convert rotary motion of the rocking beam to rotary motion of the crankshaft; and 
 
 an airlock space separating the crankcase and the working space for maintaining a pressure differential between the crankcase and the working space. 
 
     
     
       5. The external combustion engine as set forth in  claim 4  further comprising a first seal for sealing the crankcase from the airlock space, wherein the seal is a rolling diaphragm. 
     
     
       6. The external combustion engine as set forth in  claim 5  further comprising a second seal for sealing the working space from the airlock space, wherein the seal is a high pressure seal. 
     
     
       7. The external combustion engine as set forth in  claim 4  further comprising a first seal for sealing the working space from the airlock space, wherein the seal is a pair of oppositely disposed rolling diaphragms. 
     
     
       8. The external combustion engine as set forth in  claim 4  further comprising an airlock pressure regulator connected between the crankcase and one of the airlock space and working space. 
     
     
       9. The external combustion engine as set forth in  claim 8  wherein the airlock pressure regulator is a bidirectional pressure regulator for maintaining a predetermined pressure differential between the crankcase and one of the airlock space and working space.